Lankadeepa’s Yahampath honoured at Raigam Tele’es 2024

Veteran journalist and the Features Editor of Daily Lankadeepa, Samantha Yahampath, was awarded with the first ever recognition given to a print media journalist at the recently concluded 21 Raigam Tele’es 2024 Tele award ceremony  

This is the first time that a representative of a print media organization was recognised with the Raigam Award for rendering a service to art and cinema

As a journalist for over 30 years, Samantha has been writing on topics relating to cinema and arts in Sri Lanka  

Veteran journalist and the Features Editor of our sister newspaper Daily Lankadeepa, Samantha Yahampath, was awarded with the first ever recognition given to a print media journalist at the recently concluded 21 Raigam Tele’es 2024 Tele award ceremony. Held recently.   

Yahampath was awarded for his service rendered to cinema, television industry and art for more than 30 years. This is the first time that a representative of a print media organization was recognised with the Raigam Award for rendering a service to art and cinema.  

One of the senior most features editors in the field and also the Editor of the ‘Rasavindana’ - Cinema and Art Supplement, Yahampath was appointed as a member of the State Cinema Advisory Board (SCAB) last year.   

 As a journalist for over 30 years, Yahampath has been writing on topics relating to cinema and arts in Sri Lanka. He has also served as a jury member for the State Short Film Festival and was a member of the Teledrama Survey Committee of the Independent Television Network (ITN). He has obtained diplomas in Mass Media Communications from the Universities of Colombo and Sri Jayewardenepura.  

A student of Sri Subodhi National School in Battaramulla, Yahampath joined ‘Yowun Janatha’ of Lake House as a young reporter in 1989. Later in September 1991, he joined the first staff of the daily Lankadeepa and worked as a feature writer under Mahinda Dalugodaarachchi. While celebrating 30 years in journalism, Samantha has dedicated nearly 25 years to handling the arts pages of the newspaper. At present he is the longest serving editor of the arts pages amongst all national newspapers in Sri Lanka.  

Samantha Yahampath (Left) with actress Anoja Weerasinghe and other journalists